I've been whining for so long about how lovely they are that my kids finally
gave me one. I've brought the kids up successfully (meaning they can take
hints about gifts) but what do I do with the Abutilon striatum? It came with
the bare minimum of instructions.

It was in flower when it came but that phase seems to be over and now it's
all healthy-looking leaves. Any hints?

Thanks.

Felice of the Brown Thumb

In article 1ZKYc.95768$mD.58492@attbi_s02, "Felice Friese"
wrote:

I've been whining for so long about how lovely they are that my kids finally
gave me one. I've brought the kids up successfully (meaning they can take
hints about gifts) but what do I do with the Abutilon striatum? It came with
the bare minimum of instructions.

It was in flower when it came but that phase seems to be over and now it's
all healthy-looking leaves. Any hints?

Thanks.

Felice of the Brown Thumb

Don't overwater it; make sure its in soil that drains well; give it full
sun. The species you have like molst abutilons is hardy to zone 9, being
too frost tender for northern climates. Abutilon megapotamicum is
mild-frost hardy & would be good to zone 7. With heavy mulching, they've
been grown even in Alaska as die-back perennials, but in their preferred
zones they are semi-evergreen to deciduous woody shrubs six by six feet or
larger, bloom late spring right on through much of winter (possibly
blooming year round in zones 10), can after a mild frosty winter turn
scruffy in early spring so may need heavy pruning before new growth
begins. So long as they never get too cold or too wet, they're pretty
darned easy shrubs, very rewarding with nearly perpetual flowering.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com